Tenchu
by Pellegryn
Summary: A ninja should value stealth, above all. One man is going to take it upon himself to teach Naruto just what a ninja should be. The rest of Team Seven might just get caught up in the ride...
1. Talent

**Tenchu**

_Chapter One - Talent_

It was a rotten day to live in Konoha, Koichi reflected. He sighed as he ducked between the trees to avoid the drizzle of rain. A cold mist spread along the forest floor, causing a chill to creep into old bones. Well, perhaps not so old. He had nothing on Sandaime after all, but Koichi had been in the generation that had seen the Sannin become great.

The sun had been shining merrily earlier in the morning when he'd gone into the village to pick up a few supplies. He hefted the pack on his shoulder. Since he lived on the edge of the village he liked to keep all his shopping to twice a month. What a rotten day he'd chosen for it.

First he'd been just about bowled over by the Jinchuriki kid being chased by a squad of ANBU. Subsequently he'd been splattered with the wet pain that covered the brat, leftover from some prank no doubt. In the middle of the crowd it had been impossible to avoid being run over by the runt.

Then he'd been caught out when the weather had taken a turn. It was causing the paint to run and the stains in his clothing were starting to spread. And his bones were aching. Never had he been happier to see his little cottage in the forest come into view.

Approaching the front door, he frowned to see it had been left ajar, something Koichi never did. It was just asking wild critters to sneak in. He laid his pack softly, noiselessly, on the ground and pulled the kunai strapped at the small of his back. He slunk around back to the one window that didn't creak when it opened.

Channeling a bit of chakra, he disarmed the sound trap and slipped quietly through into a dark corner of the room. Soft light flickered from the fireplace. Koichi shook his head. If it was an enemy, they were certainly sloppy. Nevertheless, he did not sheathe the kunai. He heard the creak of the rocking chair and crept around the corner so he could get a better view.

Fast asleep in the chair was the little brat that had run into him earlier. Apparently he'd let himself in to escape the elements. Koichi sighed as he sheathed the kunai. The brat actually looked pretty pathetic curled up and shivering like that. How old was he now, seven? Eight, maybe? The years passed so quickly. For a moment Koichi considered dumping the kid outside his door, but thought better of it.

* * *

Naruto's first thought, upon waking, was that something smelled _really_ good. His next was that he was warm. One blue eye cracked open. He could see the back of a man in front of the fire, stirring some kind of soup. He sat up, blinking sleep out of his eyes. A worn red quilt slipped to the floor as he did so. Blinking, he rescued scooped it up before looking up at the back of the man in surprise.

The man had turned around and was watching him. He looked like the grumpy sort, with the kind of deep wrinkles caused more by stress than age. His hair was graying as was the rough bit of facial hair. There was a nasty scar that ran along his jaw line and right through his ear. His skin was leathery, probably from a lot of time outdoors. _Shinobi_, Naruto's mind whispered.

"Hey there kid. Finally decided to wake up, have you?" The man grumbled at him.

Naruto blinked as a bowl filled with soup was shoved unceremoniously into his hand. He stared at it. Now he knew what smelled so good. The man was still watching him expectantly.

"Well," he said, "are you going to eat or not?"

"For me?" Naruto asked him, feeling a little dumb.

"For fire's sake child! Just eat it."

Naruto didn't hesitate. He was vaguely aware of the man pulling up his own chair and helping himself to his own bowl.

"It's really good," Naruto said between gulps, broth dripping down his chin. The old man just snorted at him and refilled Naruto's bowl when it was empty. Naruto took his time on the second bowl, savoring the taste.

"You know kid, if you're going to sleep in someone else's house you should try to be a little more discreet about it," the man told him.

"Ah!" Naruto exclaimed suddenly. He set down the bowl and clapped his hand in front of his face, bowing. "Sorry, sorry. I was just trying to get out of the rain and it was cold and before I know it I fell asleep! I didn't mean to! I was just so tired out after losing the ANBU and I'm really sorry and they were a lot more stubborn this time than they usually are and…!"

"Enough, enough!" the man said interrupting the ramble. "I get it. So, you got away eh? Not bad for a brat, running from ANBU."

"Eh? I'm good at it," Naruto boasted. "I can usually hid well enough not to get caught now! But…they had one of those guys with the dogs this time. Inuza…something or other."

"Inazuka."

"Yeah, that's them." Naruto picked up the bowl again, encouraged, and continued talking between gulps. If he had looked, he would have seen the man's eyebrows had just about leapt off his forehead.

"So, you usually are able to hide from the ANBU, eh? Standards must have dropped since I left," he muttered, watching the bond brat eat.

"Well, eventually I get caught, and then Old Man Hokage gets real mad. But anyway, this stuff is really good! Thanks a lot mister."

The man waved off his thanks. "Name's Koichi, not mister."

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Thanks a lot Koichi-san! I'll repay you somehow."

"Oh, I'm sure you will, Uzumaki Naruto. Say, it's pretty lonely out here by myself. What say next week you drop by for dinner again?" Koichi offered with a lopsided smile.

"Um, I don't wanna be any trouble." Naruto looked away.

"Haha! I won't buy that, not from a prankster brat like you. Trouble seems your middle name kiddo. Honestly, you're trouble, but you seem like pretty good company, so what do you say?" Koichi winked at him a peculiar light in his eyes.

"Well, I guess, your cooking is pretty good!" Naruto agreed, even as he polished off the last of the soup.

"Damn right kiddo."

* * *

The next night the Sandaime Hokage was working late, a single lamp illuminating his desk at the top of the Hokage tower. A slight draft caused him to glance up and notice the shadow in the corner. His heart nearly stopped for a moment until he recognized the silhouette. Then his heart nearly stopped again.

"Don't scare this old man like that, Koichi. I nearly had a heart attack," Sarutobi scolded.

Koichi stepped soundlessly from the corner and into the light. He was clad all in dark blue, an outfit Sarutobi never thought he'd see the man wear again. Koichi let out a muffled chuckle as he unwrapped the scarf over his face.

"Losing your touch Hokage-sama? I almost wondered if you'd notice me."

"I'm not dead yet, Koichi." Sarutobi rolled his eyes as he set aside the document he'd been working on. Koichi answered him with a hearty laugh. "So what do I owe the honor?" the Hokage asked him. "Surprised me, you slinking about in that outfit as though you never retired."

"Oh don't get too far ahead of yourself Professor. I'm not coming out of retirement. I just have reason to…dust off a few old skills," Koichi told him, sitting on the edge of the desk.

"I see." The Hokage was silent waiting for him to elaborate. Koichi huffed.

"I want your permission to train someone."

The Hokage took a moment to inhale deeply from his pipe before letting out a huff of smoke, eyes suddenly calculating. "You hardly need my permission to take on a student. You know I'd be delighted, but you stopped teaching decades ago."

"Not a student, an apprentice."

That caused the Hokage to sit up and really take notice. He had always hoped the Koichi would pass on his legacy so that the skills he was master of would not be lost to time. Koichi was a shinobi that the age had left behind. He was a real master of stealth, the kind of skills that nearly died out in the Third Shinobi War. To this day, Sarutobi could count on one hand the number of times he'd actually seen Koichi use a jutsu. Nevertheless he was one of the most deadly assassins in the world - the kind that never got listed in the bingo book.

Up until now, Koichi had many students, most of them his subordinates when he was a captain in ANBU. However, he had refused to take an apprentice to pass on the whole of his skill set to, saying that no one had appeared with the right aptitude. That included talents like Uchiha Itachi and Hatake Kakashi, both temporary students of his.

"Who?" he demanded.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

That sent the Hokage reeling for a moment. He chewed his pipe thoughtfully as he gathered himself back together. "Naruto...doesn't seem the type," the Hokage admitted finally. "He's...a bit loud, a real attention grabber." He quirked an eyebrow when Koichi began chuckling.

"It's because of that you haven't seen it. Tell me, Hokage-sama," he crossed his arms, leaning back, "how long as Naruto been playing pranks?"

"Oh, I'd say since he was seven. He's nine now, so, something like two years...?"

"And for how long has he been able to evade the ANBU?"

The Hokage's pipe fell from a slack jaw. Koichi snatched it from the air before landed on the desk and set the paperwork on fire. He handed it back to a startled Hokage, who immediately began to chew on it, lost in thought.

"It never occurred to me...to look at it that way," he admitted slowly. He had the look of someone in the middle of an epiphany. "They always catch him eventually of course, but...he's got no training."

"Exactly. Hokage-sama, with your permission, I do not want to see that potential wasted."

"It doesn't seem...like it would really suit him. He's loud, explosive really. I don't see how a style like yours will appeal to him. I can see your point now Koichi, but convincing Naruto may be another matter." The Hokage informed him.

"But do I have your permission, Hokage-sama?"

"If you can convince Naruto, then yes. I know you will not lead him astray, Koichi."

"Leave it to me, Hokage-sama."

* * *

"Wow Koichi-san! Did that really happen?" Naruto breathed, starry-eyed.

"Sure did kid. It was after that battle the Fourth Hokage got really famous. Iwa had a standing order to 'flee on sight' for him.

Naruto grinned, bouncing in his seat. He'd been a little hesitant to come back, but now he was glad he had. Koichi had the coolest stories to tell. He'd been around during the Third Shinobi War! And he'd seen the Fourth Hokage fight in person!

"But you know kiddo, what the Yondaime's real strength was with his technique?"

"What? What?" Naruto said, legs kicking under his chair as he leaned forward.

"Aw come on kiddo, no guesses?"

"He beat up a lot of guys?" Naruto hazarded.

"Nope." Koichi shook a finger in the air. "You see kiddo, you gotta think, why was he able to beat so many guys?"

"I dunno..."

"It's because his technique let him appear out of nowhere. One minute he was there, the next he was gone. The enemy could never even see him coming. It's something that all the explosive, flashy techniques in the world can't compete with. If the enemy can't even see you coming, how can they beat you? The Yondaime was a true master ninja. He brought the strongest aspects of a ninja, stealth and speed, right into open combat. Something most people don't know was that before he was Hokage, he was a top member of ANBU."

"Wow," Naruto breathed. All people ever talked about was how the Yondaime beat the Kyuubi. Naruto had heard more about his idol in one night that in his entire lifetime before.

"I trained him for awhile you know, back when he was a rookie in ANBU. Of course, he was already pretty good then, having trained under Jiraiya, one of the Sannin."

_Hook_

"Really?! I didn't know you were that old Koichi-san!" Naruto exclaimed. Koichi reached over the table where they sat to ruffle his hair.

"Hey now brat, don't talk about your elders like that," he scolded, though he laughed a moment after.

"Koichi-san? D'you think I can be as good as Yondaime someday?" Naruto stared at his empty plate thoughtfully. Koichi grinned, though Naruto couldn't see it.

_Line_

"Sure kiddo. Bet you could even be better, if you find a good teacher of course..." Koichi could almost see the working of Naruto's mind at that moment. His thoughts were about as obvious as a Bijuu on the rampage.

Naruto's head shot up and he looked at Koichi with bright eyes. "Say, Koichi-san, do you think _you_ could teach me?"

Koichi's grin just about split his face. "I dunno. I retired from teaching awhile ago you know," he told Naruto, waiting until his bright expression started to dim. "But...I suppose if you passed a small test I could..."

"What? Anything! I'll prove I can be a good student! Naruto exclaimed.

"Oh? Well then...here's the deal..."

_Sinker..._

_

* * *

  
_

Sarutobi bit back a curse as he looked up to find Koichi in his office once more. Even though he'd been expecting the late night visit the man still managed to startle him. He was sure that Koichi enjoyed it too.

"Greeting Hokage-sama," Koichi said in a lilting voice. Oh yes, Koichi certainly did enjoy being able to sneak up on one of the strongest ninja of all time.

"You are impossible."

"Why thank you Hokage-sama."

"So, how are things with Naruto progressing?" Sandaime inquired, feeling rather at ease now that his heart had stopped racing. He now had an excuse to take a break from his paperwork after all.

"Oh, it's just beautiful. I suppose you noticed the task I set him to?"

Sarutobi nodded. There'd been a recent rash of pranks in the village. Oddly, though Naruto was the likely perpetrator, no one had caught him at it. The pranks had been smaller, more cautious, than the boy's usual ventures but it was unmistakable. At the scene of each 'crime' they'd found a slip of paper with an orange spiral on it. Naruto was apparently leaving calling cards now, probably Koichi's idea. But he wasn't getting caught.

"If he makes it to the end of this week, and he still hasn't been caught, I'll begin teaching him," Koichi told him.

"I can't believe you actually got him to ask you to teach him," Sarutobi admitted.

"Ah, it wasn't too hard. Just had to know the right things to say." Koichi grinned.

**To Be Continued**


	2. Test

**Tenchu**

_Chapter Two - Test_

"Hokage-sama, I have a request to make."

By now, the Hokage's heart didn't even skip when Koichi appeared in his office. The past few years dealing with the man had caused some of the Hokage's old edge to come back. Koichi had been delivering sporadic reports ever since he had taken up Naruto's training. According to him, Naruto was...an interesting student.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I need you to let me take Naruto on a mission." Koichi said. "The genin exams are coming up, are they not? I need to make sure he's ready to let off the leash, so to speak."

"Koishi...no." Sarutobi's hand clenched around his pen. "I know what kind of test you give your students. He's too young. I didn't let you take him just so he could become a killer so young."

"You're being soft, Hokage-sama," Koichi rebuked in a gentle sort of voice. His eyes, however, were hard. "You and I know he'll be forced into the situation eventually. Better that at least I can keep an eye on him to make sure he's okay. Besides...you know very well that I've trained him to be a very good killer. Not that he's aware of that yet. In the days of the war, he would be long past his first kill by now."

Sarutobi clenched his teeth, but before he got a chance to respond, Koichi soldiered on.

"The training he has, he's got to use it in a real life situation to really grasp what he's capable of. Otherwise he's just going to get killed Sarutobi. What he's learned can't be reversed, and if he's not given a chance to apply it correctly..."

"He'll apply it incorrectly," Sarutobi finished. "Is he really up to it?"

"If he's not, I'll take care of things myself, though I really don't think that will be necessary."

"...alright. I approve it." Sarutobi fished around in his desk before producing a mission scroll and handing it over. "That should fill the requirements."

Koichi unfurled the scroll and skimmed the contents before snapping it back up onto his hand. "This will do nicely. I get the feeling you were prepared for this."

The Hokage didn't answer, but looked away. That was good enough for Koichi.

* * *

The next day found Koichi waiting in a chair outside the house for Naruto to arrive. He hadn't been waiting long when he felt a stir in a the air. He grinned and turned to look up in a nearby tree.

"Very good Naruto. Still need to work a bit on the chakra control. I heard you slip a moment ago." Koichi stepped back as Naruto landed next to him. The boy was dressed in a bright orange jumpsuit, with a dark blue scarf around his neck. Most would have been surprised that such a bright figure was completely concealed in the trees until just seconds before. The way Koichi saw it, that jumpsuit was good training. If the boy could hide in orange, he could hide in anything.

"Aw, one of these days I'll get you Koichi-sensei," he whined.

"In any case Naruto, I wanted to you to come today because I have a mission for you." He waved the mission scroll in Naruto's face, only to snatch it away when the boy made a grab at it. "Nope. You gotta sit and listen quietly."

Naruto groaned, but neverthess took up a cross-legged seat on the ground, remaining completely motionless. His academy teachers would have been astounded to see him sitting so still, so quiet.

"About a day's travel southeast of here is a small trading village. There's a merchant there with a connection to a group of bandits. Apparently the bandits steal from traders passing through and the then this merchant sells the stuff back to the owner at exorbitant prices." Koichi explained. "The merchant is a paranoid bastard. He's the only one who knows all his contacts, not even his second in command. Without him the organization falls apart. Unfortunately, the man's wife is actually a cousin of the daimyo. It doesn't give him more power, but it does mean discretion is necessary. Do you know what this means, Naruto?"

"The Fire Lord wants him assassinated, and doesn't want them to know Konoha was involved," Naruto replied, a solemn look on his face. Koichi saw the boy clench his fists. He felt a small pang of regret that was swiftly pushed aside.

One of the reasons he'd chosen Naruto, besides the latent talent he'd seen, was the boy's personality. Naruto was strong. Even with all the difficulties he faced he had remained optimistic, downright cheerful. Not to mention he had a sense of humor. Koichi had discovered more than anything else, a sense of humor was necessary to cope with pressure. Unlike all those strong, silent type shinobi, Naruto would not break. Naruto would never become a monster. He had too much of the capacity to love in him.

"You understand the situation then? Your training has given you everything you need."

"I understand Koichi-sensei," Naruto chewed his lip. "Tell me what I need to know. I won't let you down."

So Koichi did. Where the merchant lived, what his schedule was like, the village layout, about the guards he'd hired - he told Naruto all of this. He didn't tell Naruto that he would be following to make sure the boy didn't get in over his head. It was important Naruto didn't know he had help. It was something that had to be experienced, the feeling of being completely alone. He had to feel that anxiety of being the only one responsible for the mission and his life, that no one was coming to bail him out. Koichi needed him to have the experience before Naruto got assigned to a genin team.

* * *

Naruto shifted slowly on the tree branch he was crouched on, just enough to keep his muscles from stiffening up. Breath caught in his throat as a guard passed below him with a lantern. _They can't see me_, he reassured himself. _They can't. _The mantra ran through his head even as the guards head swung back and forth. Occasionally the man looked directly towards where Naruto hid.

_They can't see me._

It was hard to breath. Sweat dripped down neck, only to be absorbed by the fabric of his jacket. For the mission, he had reversed his normal jumpsuit. Koichi-sensei had it specially made for him. One side was orange with bits of blue. The other was a dark navy. With the scarf wrapped around his head and face, Naruto would have been hard pressed to recognize himself.

_They can't see me. _

He had to remind himself, even as the guard and his dog moved on. Dogs, Naruto knew, were his worst enemy. It was harder to fool a dog's nose than it was human eyes. Cats, Naruto liked. They just didn't care. Just on this one mission, Naruto was becoming less and less fond of dogs.

Lanterns flickered on the porch of the house. It was in a traditional style, all wood and paper screens. Naruto could see the shadows of the people inside earlier in the evening when they moved in front of the doors. It was now the dead hour of the night, and there were not more silhouettes appearing. Everybody, except for the guards, should be asleep. Even those who would party late into the night would be retiring or passed out now, in the few hours before dawn.

The guard turned the corner. Softly, Naruto hopped over to the roof of the building. He landed carefully as to not cause the shingles to slip. A single loose tile could be the end of this mission. He paused for a moment, breath held. The night was silent.

_Quickly and quietly, _he reminded himself. He made himself breath normally as he slipped down from the roof and in through a side door. The shoji screen rasped softly as it open and closed. He winced at the noise, soft as it was. Creeping slowly forwards, he slid the ninja-to from his back. He had to force his hand to grip it properly. His fingers wanted to tighten up. If he allowed his nerves free reign he was going to fail.

He couldn't fail. He wouldn't let Koichi-sensei down. He wouldn't let Konoha down.

Around the corner he slunk, towards the room where he knew the merchant slept. As reached for the screen he paused. Someone inside the room was moving, trying to be quiet by the sound of it. They were coming toward the door. Naruto's heart fluttered in his chest as he glanced up and down the hall. _There was no time_. _What now? What now? _His mind betrayed him. Then, heart in his throat, he broke through the panic.

Stepping to the side of the door, he preformed a quick henge, changing into the cat he'd seen sleeping on the porch earlier. The screen slid open. Out slipped a young peasant woman. She offered him a quick glance immediately dismissing him from her mind. Looking up and down the hall, she straightened her clothing nervously before darting down the hall.

_Well,_ Naruto thought. _At least he won't be sleeping with his wife._ That was one obstacle that had taken care of itself. Slipping in through the door she left open, he dispelled the henge. Ninja-to in hand, he approached where the merchant lay sprawled on the futon, naked as the day he was born. Naruto grimaced at the sight. _No wonder his wife wasn't interested_, he couldn't help but think. Naruto paused before the man. He bit the inside of his cheek and tasted copper.

_I can do this. _The ninja-to rose. It fell once, one blow, just as he'd been taught. _A lot of blood_, he though numbly, dodging the spray. Without thinking he wiped his blade and sheathed it. _A lot of blood._

He wasn't going to think about it, especially not the sound his ninja-to had made when it opened up the man's throat. Not now. Koichi always said that it was all well and good if you got in, but that only meant you had to get back out again. He couldn't go losing his head before he escaped. He exited the room, sliding the door shut behind him. A though occurred to him. He took a moment to henge back into the appearance of a cat before moving back through the hallway.

His heart didn't stop pounding until he made it out of the village. It was so loud in his ears he was sure the guards would hear it. Not until the village was out of sight did he lose some of his control. Crouching in the bushes, he lost what little was in his stomach. Bile scorched his throat. He jumped when he heard someone approach, hand automatically reaching for his weapon.

"Naruto," came Koichi's voice from the shadows. "It's me."

Naruto relaxed, turning away in shame as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He didn't want his sensei to see him like this. A second later there was a hand on his shoulder. A canister of water entered his field of vision.

"Rinse your mouth. It'll help," Koichi told him. Naruto obeyed him silently, spitting the liquid out into the bushes. "It's not weak, Naruto," Koichi said, dispelling Naruto's current thoughts. "I did the same thing, my first time. In fact, I didn't even get as far as you before I lost it." He ignored the moisture in Naruto's eyes as the boy continued to methodically swish and spit.

"Koichi-sensei..."

"I'm proud of you kiddo, almost more for this than completing the mission. You did what you had to, but you're still human. If it didn't bother you, you'd be a monster. It's okay to feel bad about it. Let that sadness, that regret pass through you. Feel it with every bit of your soul. Then let it go. Don't hold on to those feelings. Have them, but don't keep them. It doesn't no good to bottle it up inside. It'll always be the same."

"...thank you, sensei."

* * *

Kakashi surveyed the potential Team Seven with veiled interest. They were just brats really, wannabe genin. Maybe, just maybe they'd prove to be worthwhile. He had to admit it didn't look promising for them, though.

Uchiha Sasuke looked like a real brooder. Not surprising with his history. He was resolutely ignoring his teammates and feigning complete disinterest. That didn't bode well for the teamwork aspect. Kakashi had a feeling that actually integrating him into the team would be grueling.

Then there was Haruno Sakura. The little pink headed girl was prime fangirl material. The way she kept glancing over at the Uchiha was in parts disturbing and annoying. She would need to learn to apply herself to being a ninja if she ever wanted to succeed. And she would have to stop glaring at her other teammate.

Speaking of which, the last member was Uzumaki Naruto. Kakashi had never met a louder genin (not even Obito). Naruto spoke loudly and dressed loudly. That orange jumpsuit was really something else. He was a prankster and an attention seeker. Apparently the bottom of the class, he'd barely scraped through his exam. Still, he was the most likely of the three to work well with others. That scarf he wore was raising some flags in Kakashi's mind, though he couldn't quite remember why.

"Alright. Why don't you introduce yourselves, tell me your hobbies, likes, dislikes, dreams. You know."

He snickered inwardly at their dumbfounded expressions.

"Um, why don't you go first Kakashi-sensei. Show us how it's done." Sakura's voice was hesitant. Kakashi got the feeling she lacked any real confidence.

"Well, I'm Hatake Kakashi. I have a lot of hobbies. I like a lot of things. Dreams...well...none of your business," he said with a smile. Naruto and Sakura looked decidedly disgruntled that they hadn't found out more. Even Sasuke seemed irritated, though that could also just be his natural state. "Now then, you on the left, your turn," he said pointing to Sakura.

"I'm Haruno Sakura. My hobbies are," here she paused and glanced at Sasuke. "Dreams for the future..." Again she glanced over. Kakashi could see where this is going. "What I like..." She squealed to herself then. "I dislike Naruto," she finished flatly. Kakashi could see Naruto wilting. Sasuke remained more or less indifferent. Sakura was going to take a lot of work to turn into a productive ninja.

"Okay, that's interesting I guess. Next, you in the middle."

"Uchiha Sasuke. I don't have any likes or dislikes. I don't really have a dream but an ambition. I want to revive my clan and to kill a certain man."

Kakashi had been expecting that. Still, the reactions of the other two were almost comical. Sakura seemed to be bordering on fear and awe. Naruto appeared completely taken aback by the statement. And there was something else there as well. Something in Naruto's reaction that set off another flag in Kakashi's head.

"Alright then, last."

"My name's Uzumaki Naruto! I like ramen and training with sensei. My hobby is pulling pranks. I dislike people who can't take a joke. I also hate the three minutes it takes the water for my ramen to boil. My dream is to be Hokage, better even than the Yondaime, and make the whole village acknowledge me!" he declared loudly, gesturing wildly as he did so.

Of the three, it seemed only Naruto had managed to successfully introduce himself. The thought made Kakashi chuckle. Well, even if they didn't manage to pass, Kakashi could treat this entire fiasco as an amusing diversion. Just wait until he told them about the survival test...

* * *

So this was a jounin. Naruto watched as Sakura succumbed to a genjutsu. The obstacle before him was starting to look insurmountable. So far, Naruto was fairly sure that Kakashi hadn't found him, but eventually Naruto would have to make some attempt at getting the bells. Sasuke had already made his own assault on the jounin, which ended in a rather spectacular failure.

Naruto wasn't going to kid himself. He didn't have the tools for an all out assault like Sasuke did. His only jutsu were a few basic ones they taught at the academy. Koichi sensei had spent months drilling into him enough chakra control to use henge and bunshin. In fact, he'd still barely preformed bunshin well enough to pass the genin exam.

And hadn't that been an awful experience. Koichi-sensei had warned him, but it had still be humiliating. So what if on the written test he couldn't list the first twenty rules of the shinobi? And so what if he wasn't pinpoint accurate with shuriken? They were mostly a distraction tool after all. Shuriken weren't very useful for taking out an enemy in a single blow. His taijutsu was decent enough, but still needed a lot of work apparently. (Koichi-sensei had told him so too. They just hadn't been able to focus on it yet.) He was much better with a ninja-to or tanto as that was what his training had focused on.

The academy hadn't tested on anything he was actually good at. It really, really wasn't fair! _Sakura_ had scored higher than him. Now, he liked Sakura a lot. She was the prettiest girl in their class, according to him. And she was really, really smart. But because he actually paid attention to her, he knew that she didn't seriously train. It chafed a bit.

It didn't matter. This was the real test. Here Naruto could finally show that he knew something about being a ninja. Finally, finally they were being given a practical test where he could prove himself. Now if only he could get over the anxiety of possibly being sent back to the academy.

But how to get a bell? Sakura was a good example of not doing enough. Sasuke was the example of doing too much. His first surprise attack had been good, but once he'd been lured into open combat with the jounin he'd gotten his ass kicked. Though it irked him, Naruto knew for sure he couldn't match a jounin head on.

Kakashi had moved back out into the open now. It was a bit discouraging. Naruto was hoping he hadn't lost his chance. It was a lot easier to remain hidden in the forest and approach him that it would be in the open field. Then again, perhaps he could use the fact that Kakashi would not be expecting him to approach such a way. The stream was promising, if it was deep enough. The grass was tall in a few spots and there were some trees. It was doable. Maybe. If he got lucky.

Kakashi was now sitting out in the open on a rock, reading a book. Naruto wasn't fooled. He was entirely aware of what was going on around him. What Naruto really needed was a distraction. It irked him, but he was going to have to ask for help. There were two bells after all. He'd prefer to ask Sakura, but he didn't think she was waking up anytime soon. That left Sasuke, who Naruto didn't particularly care to work with.

With a suffering sigh, Naruto crept his way over to where Sasuke was buried up to his head. There was still some time before lunch. If he helped the Uchiha dig himself out they might just get something done.

"Hey there Bastard," Naruto began crouching in front of Sasuke's head.

The Uchiha glared. Naruto could almost imagine invisible kunai flying at his face. Well, Naruto had to admit, it was pretty embarrassing for the other boy, to be caught in this situation.

"Hey! Don't give me that look! I didn't say anything!" Naruto protested. The look Sasuke gave clearly said _'you didn't have to, I know what you're thinking'_. For someone so anti-social he was certainly good at getting a message across with a single expression. "I just came over to help you out. You could be a little more appreciative," Naruto continued as he began to dig. Slowly between both their efforts the dirt began to give way, until Sasuke was finally able to haul himself out of the ground, with the help of Naruto. They sat on the ground in silence for a few moments, catching a second wind.

"...what do you want?" Sasuke asked finally. "Why help me?" His tone grated on Naruto's nerves. The Uchiha always acted like he so much better than everyone. It made Naruto wanted to slap him. Well, no turning back now.

"I need your help," Naruto told him, though he wanted to grind his teeth when he said it. "And you need mine." He couldn't help but add that to ease his own ego, even if he knew it would bug Sasuke to hear it.

"Me, need your help, dobe?" Sasuke's eyebrows rose on his forehead. He was less insulted, it seemed, and more in disbelief. It was certainly a better reaction than Naruto expected. "Explain."

"Look, Kakashi-sensei is a jounin. There's no way we can beat him by ourselves. Now, I have a few ideas on how I could get the bells myself, but they're all pretty risky and if I fail I wouldn't get a second chance. There are two bells, one for you, one for me. If we work together we can double our chances. Besides, it's pretty obvious we don't like each other. We can probably give him a big surprise if we actually work together."

Naruto didn't mention that his whole plan was to use Sasuke as a distraction so he could snag the bells. That could come after the Uchiha agreed. Besides, if Naruto actually managed to get both, he didn't mind giving one to Sasuke for his help. He gave Sasuke a minute to mull over his suggestion. It wouldn't be hard to get Sasuke to be a distraction. He could just play up the fact that Sasuke was better in combat than he was, so it would be better if he was the one distracting Kakashi. Naruto didn't actually have to say his stealth skills were better. He could rub it in Sasuke's face later.

"Well?"

"...what do you have in mind, dobe?" Sasuke asked.

_Hook, line, and sinker_, Naruto thought as he proceeded to lay out his plan.

* * *

If there was one thing about this whole bell test that had surprised Kakashi so far, it was that he had not seen a glimpse of Naruto since the whole thing began. If anyone was going to come after him directly, he had thought it would be Naruto. Instead the boy had disappeared into the foliage at the start of the test and he'd seen nothing of him since. There hadn't been a single noise or glimpse of orange to betray his presence. That really stood out to him. Not many genin could conceal themselves so totally while wearing safety orange of all things.

The whole thing bothered him. Obviously someone had taught the boy stealth. He had disappeared from the range of Kakashi's senses so totally that at first Kakashi wondered if he'd left the training ground completely. Then he'd dismissed that thought. That kid had an inner drive to prove himself. He wasn't the type to run away. Then again, Kakashi had been sure he was the type to charge straight into a fight. Apparently the brief file he'd read on his team's skills was not at complete as he would have liked.

A mess of shuriken flying towards his face made Kakashi look up from his reading. It seemed Sasuke was making a move. He'd become aware of the boy approaching a few minutes before. Kakashi stepped casually out of the way. It had taken the Uchiha a lot less time than he thought to dig himself out of that hole. Kakashi had to give him points for persistence, but he lost just as much in originality. Really, the boy was going to have to throw some new tricks at him or Kakashi was going to get bored. It was really too bad he'd failed to grasp the true meaning of the test.

Sasuke barreled at him going full speed. He launch a double handful of shuriken at Kakashi. There were, the jounin noted, wires attached. It was a clever trick. If the sun had not glinted of them just so he might now have noticed. Humming to himself, he sliced away the wires with a kunai as the shuriken flew past. Not once did he appear to look up from his book. He heard Sasuke mutter a low curse in frustration. Yeah, Kakashi made this look easy.

Despite his disadvantage, Sasuke continued to charge him in a frontal assault. Kakashi was just readying himself to humiliate the wannabe genin once more when he noticed it. It was a coincidence, Sasuke's eyes flickered away from him once, just slightly. At the same time he heard something so soft and nearly imperceptible he wondered if he'd heard the noise at all. Ingrained reflex from years in ANBU and as a jounin had him flipping away. Even as he did he felt more than saw a blade flash through the air coming too close for comfort. As he landed a few meters away he heard the soft jingle of a bell as it fell into the grass. Glancing at his waist he saw one of the bells had been sliced cleanly off.

"AHHHHH Shit. Damn it. Almost had it," Naruto was now cursing loudly as he sheathed a ninja-to that Kakashi had not seen him carrying before.

The boy had risen out of a clump of tall grass like a ghost. Now he was swearing loudly, but just a moment before he'd been nearly as silent as the grave. Sasuke had also ground to a halt, watching Kakashi warily. Every so often sending a calculating glance at Naruto.

In the distance the alarm clock rang, signaling the end of the test. The three of them regarded each other for a moment before Naruto spoke up.

"Sorry Sasuke. I only got one bell," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hm," Sasuke replied. Rather than being as irritated as he should be, the Uchiha seemed to be in a state of uncertainty.

In the silence Kakashi walked forward, nonchalantly pocketing the bell that had fallen. Naruto 'hmphed' and casually flicked his blade before sheathing it. To Kakashi, that tiny gesture spoke volumes.

"Wait by the logs, while I collect Sakura," the jounin instructed.

Sasuke chose to lean against one of the logs and watch speculatively as Naruto kicked at the ground in frustration. The blond had surprised him. He knew, though he wouldn't admit it, that it was partially his fault Naruto had been given away. He had glanced over, unsure of whether Naruto was actually in place or not. He hadn't been able to tell and hadn't trusted the other boy to actually be there when he didn't see him.

"Well, I guess that's like half a bell between us," Naruto muttered to himself. "Unless you count that we never actually picked it up. So...a quarter of a bell? Aw man! I don't want to go back to the academy!" he whined.

Neither did Sasuke. Maybe, just maybe what they had done had been enough. Kakashi couldn't really just send them back to the academy like that, could he?

A moment later the jounin reappeared with a rather muddled looking Sakura in tow. Before the pink haired girl realized what was happening, she had been tied to a post.

The three watched with bated breath as Kakashi stood before them with his hands on his hips.

"You fail," he told them flatly. He frowned at the shouts of protest until they quieted. "Not only did you not get any of the bells, but you didn't even try to look underneath the underneath. A ninja must see beyond what is obvious and the three of you failed to see the true purpose of this test." His tone of voice told the tale of how disappointed he was. "Genin are put in three man teams for a reason. The purpose of this exercise was teamwork. Sakura, you were the worst of the three just running around without a purpose. Sasuke, Naruto, I think you started to get the idea at the end, but you failed to get the help of Sakura. With her, you might have been able to actually get both of the bells. Instead you both disregarded her." They listened to him, faces solemn.

He turned his back on the genin to face the memorial stone. "On this stone are the names of Konoha's heroes," he informed them. "Each and every one gave their life. My teammates are on this stone." He spun around to glare at them, trying to get the message through.

"In the ninja world those who fail a mission are considered trash." Here he paused (for dramatic effect of course) "But! Those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash!" The trio didn't even have anything to say in response to that. They appeared struck dumb. Looks like Kakashi still had it.

"Now, due to the fact that Naruto and Sasuke actually managed to work together I've decided to give you another chance. We'll take a break for lunch before we begin. Sasuke, Naruto, help yourself to the lunches, but whatever you do don't feed Sakura. It's her punishment for failing." The two nodded their heads in acknowledgement as they collected their lunches. Kakashi took that as his cue to leave. With a quick glance at Naruto he wondered if perhaps he should conceal himself a little better than he had originally planned in order to spy on them.

That ninja-to was familiar to him. He'd had one just like it once, given to him by a temporary mentor of his. The sheath was a deep navy blue, almost black, with a small silver star near the top. It was a simple but beautifully made weapon. Only one man in Konoha gifted his students with such a weapon after they'd proven capable of using it. And then there was the way Naruto flicked the blade before he sheathed it. Kakashi recognized it as being a habit. Most interesting was the meaning behind it. One didn't flourish their blade in such a way as to remove the blood unless one was used to blood being there.

He pushed aside the thoughts for later as he finally saw Sasuke and Naruto feeding Sakura. Well, good. Kakashi had just started really getting interested. It would have been disappointing to have to fail them after he'd put so much effort into leading them to the right track.

One thing was for sure. Team Seven was going to keep him entertained.

**To Be Continued**


	3. Team

**Tenchu**

_Chapter Three - Team_

"Kakashi. What a surprise," Koichi dead panned when he opened his front door to find the jounin on the doorstep. "Come one in. I've just started a pot of tea." He stepped aside to let Kakashi enter.

"Ah, thank you." Kakashi strolled inside and made himself comfortable in a chair at the table. "Koichi-sensei, it seems you've taken on another student."

Koichi set the pot of tea down on the table. He handed the jounin a cup. Kakashi held it in his hands, but didn't drink. That would mean Koichi seeing his face. It had always been a source of irritation to him that Koichi was one man he couldn't fool. The heat from the cup radiated out into his hands.

"I heard you actually passed the kid's team. He was pretty excited about it. Losing your edge, Kakashi-kun?"

"Maybe I am," Kakashi said with a chuckle. "Your little student is damn scary you know. He almost got the drop on me."

"I can imagine." A smirk flit briefly across Koichi's face. "He's a very good apprentice." Koichi hid his amusement at the way Kakashi's eyes widened when he said it.

"Your own apprentice eh? I'm honored to have him in my care." If Kakashi sounded a little facetious, Koichi ignored it. That was just the jounin's way of dealing with his surprise. "Just how many missions has he been sent on?"

"So you noticed. You always were an observant little brat, Kakashi." Koichi offered a sly smile. He took a slow sip of his tea. "But to answer your question, his first mission was four months ago. He's completely six others since then. He won't be taking anymore for now. Not only does he deserve a break, but I imagine he'll be rather busy now that he's on a team. Besides, those missions have given him all the experience he needs to have for now."

"What you're saying is that in terms of true mission experience he's leaps and bounds beyond the rest of his year mates."

"Yes." Koichi looked down at his cup. He swirled the liquid around. "Two retrieval missions and one espionage."

"How many assassinations?" Kakashi's tone was solemn.

"Four," Koichi said simply. "One of them was a hard lesson for him. He got seen. Ended up having to kill a great many guards on his way out. He doesn't make mistakes like that anymore."

"I see." And Kakashi did see. He'd been on such missions himself where a stupid error resulted in unnecessary deaths. He frowned, deep in thought. So far it seemed that the experiences had not negatively affected Naruto in any way that could cause problems. Kakashi was impressed. The kid must have a pretty tough mentality. "If you don't mind me asking, what kind of skill set does he have? His file wasn't very...complete."

"Shame on you, Kakashi, asking me to reveal a ninja's tricks," Koichi scolded. Kakashi blinked at him. Koichi couldn't help but laugh at him. "I know why you're asking. Don't be so surprised." He shook his head. "His basic skills are solid. Chakra control was a real setback for him at first, so we spent a lot of time on it until he had a solid ability. You can probably figure out most of it. His taijutsu is what we're working on next, but leave that to me. What I need you to teach him is how to work in a group. I was rather pleased when I found out you were his jounin sensei."

Kakashi nodded his head, acknowledging the compliment. "That's something I'll be happy to teach him. I'll admit I'm glad you've taken him under you're wing. I've got my hands full with the other two. One of them is a fangirl and the other is a wannabe avenger. The girl is going to take a lot of work to become respectable. As for the other, the skills are there but his mentality is all wrong. I'm a little at the loss," Kakashi confessed.

"Ah, the joys of being a jounin sensei. I've got my hands full with the kid, but if you need my help teaching your team a thing or two I can spare a little time. It's for Naruto's sake after all."

"You might regret it when I take you up on that offer," Kakashi warned in good humor.

"We'll see. I think your team might regret it more," Koichi retorted with a glint in his eyes.

* * *

Naruto was kind of fed up. It was all those D rank missions. Walking dogs? Babysitting? Weeding? It was hard to see the point. Sure he was getting paid (a little), but it was tedious. At first he'd enjoyed the break from his other missions. Now it was getting kind of old.

Though it had been pretty funny when he and Sasuke had gotten in a fight during the paint job the other day. The look on the Uchiha's face when Naruto had gotten canary yellow in his hair had been priceless. Of course, it hadn't been quite so funny when Sakura had gotten in the middle of their quarrel and got drenched. She'd beaten on them both for that, never mind that she usually treated Sasuke like glass.

Naruto kind of enjoyed spending time with his team. He'd enjoy spending it with them a lot more if not for those freakishly boring D rank missions. Hence why he was now complaining loudly to the Hokage about the whole thing.

"Come on Old Man! There has to be something better for us than all this D rank mission crap! I demand a recount!"

The population of the room blinked at him. Naruto rubbed the back of his head, not entirely sure what he just said either.

"Anyway! Come on! Give us a better mission and I'll be out of your hair for a while," he wheedled. At least Sasuke seemed to be nodding his agreement. Sakura was freaking out over how he was acting in front of the Hokage. Kakashi just looked downright pissy as he was forced to apologize for Naruto.

"Okay Naruto. If you really insist I have a C rank mission available," the Hokage informed them. Naruto beamed at him.

"Awesome! What is it?"

"The mission is to escort a bridge builder named Tazuna to Wave Country."

As Sandaime spoke a man was escorted into the room. He was definitely past his prime and probably past his alcohol tolerance as well. He hiccupped at them and waved a bottle in greeting.

"These brats are going to escort me?" he eyed them skeptically. Naruto's nose wrinkled at the sour scent that wafted off him. "They look pretty stupid," the bridge builder continued. "Especially the dumb blond."

Kakashi snagged the back of Naruto's scarf before he could launch himself at the client. The blond surged forward only to fall back on his ass. Tazuna laughed at him. Even Sasuke and Sakura were beginning to look irritated.

Kakashi just knew this was going to be one of those missions.

* * *

About two hours into the mission Kakashi realized that it wasn't just one of those missions. This mission rated on a whole knew level of unpleasant. The day was hot and dusty, not the kind of day one normally chose to travel on. Nevertheless he and his team were trudging down the road with the bridge builder in tow.

The client was one of the worst aspects of the mission. He was rude, loud, smelled of alcohol and sweat, and he seemed to go out of his way to provoke Kakashi's team. The jounin had his share of bad experiences with clients, but this ranked as one of the worst. The difficulty was all heightened by the fact that he had a genin team to baby sit.

Most irritating had turned out to be Naruto, and not for the reasons most people found the blond irritating. Naruto was being downright twitchy. Every chirping bird made the poor kid look like he was going to jump out of his skin. He didn't talk to his teammates or even whine about their client. Rather, every time someone approached him he stared at them with wide eyes.

Kakashi knew what the problem was. He'd suffered the same symptoms himself for awhile, shortly after leaving ANBU. He'd been assigned an escort mission for a young lord. The mission had left him feeling like a skittish little girl. Being on the other side of an assassination would be a new experience for Naruto.

Not that anyone was trying to kill Tazuna. Hopefully when the mission ended Naruto would get over the little quirk and see it was just a routine escort. It was about that time that Kakashi spotted the puddle on the ground.

He couldn't help but groan.

Kakashi puffed out of danger with a quick replacement jutsu. The enemy didn't seem terribly skilled, but they were definitely ninja. And they definitely had a target. So much for Naruto getting over his paranoia.

Despite everything Kakashi was pleased to observe Team 7's performance in their first real skirmish together. Sakura had taken up a defensive position in front of Tazuna. Trust her to remember the mission objective. Then again if he was being more critical he could have said she was avoiding the battle, not necessarily a bad move. At least she didn't overestimate herself.

Sasuke leapt straight into the action. He was impressive for a rookie and the kid didn't even have the sharingan yet. The flexible acrobatics he displayed in his taijutsu were perhaps a bit flashy, but were still evidence of both good training and good breeding. Sasuke was born to be a ninja. His aim was good too, Kakashi noted when Sasuke pinned the attacker's chain to a tree.

At first Kakashi had thought Naruto would jump in the fray, but the blond surprised him again. He really had to stop thinking of him as the type to jump straight into a fight. Upon seeing Sasuke had things well in hand, Naruto had taken up a guard position _on the opposite side of Tazuna_.

Now didn't that just betray the essence of Naruto's training? No doubt Naruto had realized the target was Tazuna and was thinking of what he would do if he were the assassin. In fact, if these ninja had been of better quality they would have tried just such an attack. They had instead wasted both their efforts on a frontal assault. Stupid.

Kakashi showed them exactly how stupid by knocking them out a moment later. He had identified the two by now. They were missing nin from the Mist. For supposed chuunin they were very sloppy.

"Good job, everyone." Kakashi favored his genin with a proud grin, even as he disposed of the enemy ninja. "Sasuke, your timing was excellent in deflecting the threat. Sakura, you kept a head on your shoulders and remembered to protect the client. Naruto, nice assessment of further danger."

He heard Sasuke snort. Sakura was smiling a little unsurely. It took him a moment to realize why. They thought his compliment to Naruto was a joke. He was a bit astonished. Obviously they were not taking their teammate seriously yet. Had they really not realized the meaning behind his actions?

"Oh? You think it's funny because he was facing the wrong way is it? Did it occur to either of you that while one enemy attacked from the front another could sneak up from behind? I'm a little disappointed now."

They glanced at Naruto to see him shrug and grin at them. Both of them had the grace to look ashamed. Sasuke even offered the blond a thoughtful nod. Kakashi wondered if maybe they his team would really start to see each other for what they really were soon. He could only guide them so much.

* * *

"I don't understand it," Naruto began later. "Why don't you just get rid of Gato?"

Somehow, between Naruto's whining and Tazuna's use of guilt they had decided to continue the mission. They weren't too far from Tazuna's place now. After a tense crossing in the boat, Tazuna had informed them they were almost there.

"Get rid of? And how? He has a legion of hired mercenaries to protect him, dumb brat," Tazuna took a heavy swig from his bottle at the thought. "And now he's got ninja too! It's super bad!"

"I'm just saying-" Whatever Naruto had been about to say was lost as Kakashi threw his team and their client to the ground.

A few seconds later Naruto completely forgot what he had been thinking about to stare in awe at the huge sword. He had to wonder where the enemy nin (who appeared on top of it a few seconds later) kept the thing.

"That," Naruto said with absolute authority "is a freaking huge sword."

Zabuza, previously of the Seven Swordsman and known commonly as the Demon of the Mist snapped his mouth shut. He'd been about to make a comment about Sharingan Kakashi and the demon brothers, but he just couldn't be serious following that statement. He stared at the blond kid.

"Where can I get one?" the kid asked him. He was pretty sure the boy wasn't joking.

"Brat," he flipped from the tree and pulled his sword from it. "You couldn't even lift it."

"That's not the point! I'm not gonna _use_ it. I just wanna _have_ one. It looks freaking _awesome_! Totally badass."

Zabuza was kinda starting to like this kid. "Tell ya what, after I kill the bridge builder here and demolish your teacher I'll let you know."

"Aw damn it. The first awesome ninja I run into and he's an enemy," Naruto groaned.

Kakashi shook his head and pointed to himself. "Aren't I an awesome ninja?"

His genin team pinned him with a flat stare. He could see little thought bubbles popping up above their heads with the words 'lazy', 'late', and 'lame'. Zabuza started laughing at him. That was just perfect.

"I guess, Copy Kakashi, your genin don't even know who you are. Pretty sad. You've copied over a thousand jutsu and your genin don't even know it." He hefted his sword. "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll still miss you when you die!"

A heavy mist fell over the area as Zabuza preformed one of his favorite jutsu. He chuckled to himself. By now the poor little genin would be terrified. He made sure to layer on a heavy dose of killing intent as he listed off vital parts.

He and Kakashi faced off in a small skirmish with each trying to get the upper hand using water clones. Zabuza felt distinctly that he had the advantage. At least he did until he heard Kakashi chuckle. The mist began to clear as he retreated a bit, wary of what Kakashi was so pleased about.

"I think you just made your first mistake, Zabuza," Kakashi told him.

At first everything seemed as it should. The pink girl and the scowling boy looked about ready to flee as they stood next to a nervous old man. And then as the mist cleared further he realized.

Where was the blond kid? At first it didn't bother him. Then as the seconds ticked by and he still couldn't locate the kid it started to grate on his nerves.

Kakashi lunged at him. "If you think I'm going to give you the time to find him," the silver-haired jounin grinned, "you're terribly mistaken."

Zabuza spun out of the way, swinging his cleaver around as he did so. Kakashi blocked with a kunai, but was forced away as Zabuza brought his strength and the weight of the weapon to bear on him. He tried to pursue the jounin but was slowed by the caltrops Kakashi had dropped. He scowled, but his disappointment didn't last long.

The famous nin made a foolish mistake, diving into the water to escape. Zabuza couldn't wait to show him just how foolish.

* * *

"God Naruto! Would you stop fidgeting and just wear the fucking bandage!?"

...was what Kakashi woke up to. That would be Sakura shrieking. His head hurt.

"It'll be fine in a couple days!"

"Wounds like that don't heal overnight, dobe."

"Mine do, bastard. And why aren't you giving him grief Sakura-chan?"

"Put the sling back on please, Sasuke." Sakura's tone was frigid.

"It's just a fracture," came the muttered reply.

Kakashi dared ease open his eye just in time to see Sasuke get bopped on the head, gently of course. It seemed Sakura had reached her breaking point. The light hurt his head. He slid the eye shut again. Too late.

"Kakashi-sensei, you're awake," Naruto exclaimed. Kakashi swiftly held up a hand to forestall further comments.

What had happened again? Ah, right. Chakra exhaustion. He'd beaten Zabuza but at something of a cost. Sasuke had broken his arm trying to block one of Zabuza's attacks when he went after Tazuna. He bought enough time for Naruto to get the jump on Zabuza and free Kakashi from the water prison. However, that fake hunter nin had stabbed Naruto to get away when the blond called his bluff. It figured that Koichi had told Naruto all about hunter nin.

"I see you made it the rest of the way okay," Kakashi began. "Good job making it this far."

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked him. "I thought it might be chakra exhaustion and Sasuke agreed but Naruto wouldn't stop freaking out."

"Did not!" Naruto puffed his cheeks out and huffed. They ignored him.

"You're right. I overdid it a bit. I'll be fine in a week or so." He could tell they weren't reassured.

"Do we have a week? That fake hunter nin...?" Sasuke began.

"You're right. Zabuza will also be recovered when I am. Normally I would have trained you guys to prepare, but with Sasuke and Naruto injured..."

"I'll be fine in a couple days...really!"

"...just a fracture."

"Sit down, idiots. Sorry about that Kakashi-sensei."

"As I was saying, I think I need to adjust my plans." Kakashi regarded his genin with a frown. To be truthful he had hoped that he wouldn't have to walk down this path. The Hokage had agreed with Kakashi when the jounin had told him he was going to try and avoid the way the council wanted him to teach this team. He had originally been planning on neglecting everything but the basics for a while and play it off as his own laziness. In the mean time he had hoped they'd grow in different ways and ruin the council's plan.

Team Seven, like most teams, had been formed for a particular specialization. However, no team had been groomed to this specialty since before the last great shinobi war. It seemed that this time the team wasn't going to escape their fate. Even Kakashi admitted that his team was strangely suited for it.

The specialization assigned his team was assassination. ANBU was good, it was true, but they pulled from various teams and specialties to fill their ranks. A squad groomed from the beginning for assassination was a different sort of beast. And with the high tension building between countries and strange rumors floating around, the council wanted just such a beast ready before anyone even started thinking the word 'war'.

Sasuke was an all offensive type who had potential to be able to kill and or incapacitate quickly. And his eyes, if he had sharingan, were a weapon none could really match. Sakura was born to specialize in genjutsu with her precise control. She would also probably make a good medic nin. Overall, she'd fill in all the areas the others lacked for support. And somehow the council had gotten wind of Naruto's apprenticeship to Koichi which made him an automatic inclusion. Besides that, the blond had the chakra capacity for some very devastating area jutsu for those situations in which all else had failed.

"We have three options." He looked at each one of them in turn. "We can leave now and return to Konoha. We've seen Tazuna to the Wave and have no further obligation." He waved off the angry protests. "Just hear me out before you go deciding," he scolded. They weren't happy, scowling like they did, but they obeyed him.

"I can train you so that we'll be better prepared to face off against Zabuza again. The problem with this being that Sasuke will have a broken arm and Naruto and I will be recently injured. We'll be at the disadvantage." He paused to let them consider this a moment.

"What's the last option?" Sakura asked after a moment.

"I teach you how to eliminate the source of our problem so that it will no longer be worth Zabuza's while to kill Tazuna."

"Eh?"

"It's not guaranteed to work, but if we kill Gatou there will be no one to pay Zabuza," Kakashi clarified.

"Like I said earlier, get rid of Gatou!" Naruto nodded to himself, as though it was his idea all along (which it sort of was). Sakura just looked nervous, but Sasuke seemed thoughtful.

"What if he comes after us anyway, for revenge?" Sasuke put in. Naruto deflated a little at that thought.

"He might," Kakashi admitted. "But it's more likely that without a good reason to risk his life again he'll leave. The hunter nin will start breathing down his neck if he stays too long. With any luck he'll be smart about it and leave. He hasn't survived so long by being stupid." At least, Kakashi hoped not. Trying to assassinate the Mizukage was a pretty stupid thing to do in the first place after all.

"I don't know. Maybe we _should_ just go back to Konoha. I mean, we're just genin. They can get somebody better to come protect Tazuna," Sakura suggested. Naruto scowled at her while Sasuke shot her a disgusted look. Kakashi was going to break the news to her gently but Sasuke beat him to it.

"You can't really be that naive? No one else is going to come Sakura. They can't pay. Not even the Hokage can send out ninja to protect some random bridge builder from an enemy like Zabuza without reason. You're an idiot."

"I..." There were tears welling up in the girl's eyes. Her fists clenched. She looked to Naruto for support and found he was looking away.

"I'm sorry Sakura," Kakashi said gently, "but it's true. If we leave, Tazuna will die."

"..."

"Kakashi-sensei? It's not so simple as just killing Gatou, is it?" Naruto asked, wanting to break the awful silence.

"No, Naruto, it's not. In order to be sure we also need to discover his chain of command and make sure that those who would be able to succeed him are also eliminated, in one way or another."

"Right. I guess we'll be busy then." The blond and the Uchiha looked at each other and seemed to reach an agreement.

"We'll do it," Sasuke told Kakashi. "We'll kill Gatou."

"I see." Kakashi's eye slid back over to Sakura. The girl was rubbing red-rimmed eyes, but she had stopped crying. "I won't let them just make this decision without you Sakura. If you say no, we won't do it."

"I..." she looked unsure at first and then angry. Kakashi didn't doubt that she was mad he had put the pressure on her. But there was no other choice. After a very long moment she deflated a bit. "I know it's the best choice. I know it. But I just didn't want..."

"You just didn't want to kill anyone," Naruto finished, displaying surprising insight. He laid a hand on her shoulder. "But that's what ninja do, Sakura."

Sasuke's face meanwhile, had softened a bit. "You have to decided now Sakura. Are you a ninja, or aren't you?"

Sakura raised her head to look at him.

"It's not just you," he told her. Kakashi was surprised to hear the admission from the Uchiha, but not displeased.

"We'll do this together," Naruto reassured her. Sakura closed her eyes and nodded to herself.

"I'll do it. I'll become a real ninja," she said finally. She looked Sasuke in the eye "Watch me!" Her expression was a lot fiercer than expected. Kakashi knew he was not the only one taken aback.

Sasuke offered her a nod a respect. She smiled.

"That's my Sakura-chan!"

"Well said," Kakashi agreed.

"Well then, where do we start?"

**End**

**_a/n_** I might go back and write fight scene between Zabuza and Kakashi later, but to be honest I found it a bit boringto rehash something that was going to play out mostly like the original version. Sorry. Hope you don't mind. I tend to skim over parts in fanfiction that are just a repeat of what happens in canon myself.


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